Folding-bed attachment for automobiles.



L. HARRIS.

Patented Aug. 6, 1918,

FOLDING BED ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30 19H.

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FOLDING-BED ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented AugQfi, 1918.

Application filed July S0, 1917. 1 Serial No. 183,593.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Lno HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Los Angeles and State of- California, have invented new and useful Improvements in F olding-Bed Attachments for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification. I

My object is to make an improved folding bed attachment for automobiles which may readily be rigidly connected, which may be unfolded and made up to form a good sub stantial bed, which will carryits own tent 7 cover, and which may readily be folded into a compact form to ride behind the automobile.

In the drawings; I

Figure 1 is a perspective of my folding bed attachment for automobiles made up, covered, and ready for use, the forward part ofthe automobile being broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the frame with the cover and bedding removed, irnd showing the folded positions in dotted mes.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Two attaching and supporting'bars 1 are rigidly connected by ahead rail 2. The forward ends 3 of the bars 1 are adapted for attachment. to the rear end of the body 4 of theautomobile and, of course, these forms of attachment will be varied for different automobiles and for attachment in difierent places upon the automobiles. In the form shown, bolts 5 are inserted horizontally through the bars 1 and pass through the sills 6 of the car body and form a rigid connection so that said bars 1 will extend horizontally backwardly beyond the rear seat.

' The head rail 2 is perforated to receive the helicals 7 for supporting the forward end of the fabric 8. The folding side bars 9 are hinged to the rear ends of the bars 1 by bolts 10. The second folding side bars 11 are hinged to the rear ends of the side bars 9 bars 13 are hinged to the rear ends of the bars 11 by bolts 14. The rear ends of the bars v 13 are cbnnected by the foot rail 15 having perforations to receive the helicals 16 for supporting the rear end of the fabric 8. Posts 17 extend downwardly from each end of each of the bars 11 and the lower ends of the posts 17 are connected by the longitudinal bars 18 and the transverse bars 19 so as to form a rigid box frame, the bars 19 being low enough to allow the fabric 8 to sag under the load without striking the bars.

Folding legs 20 are connected to the ends of the bars 19Yby bolts or rivets 21 so that the legs may swing inwardly and upwardly beside the bars 19 and swing downwardly to vertical: positions to support the box frame.- Legs 22 are connected to the ends of the foot' rail 15 by bolts or rivets 23 so that the legs may swing upwardly beside the foot rail and swing downwardly to vertical positions and support the foot rail 15- on alevel with the head rail 2. Swiveled eye-bolts 24 and25 are inserted through the head rail 2 and foot rail 15 attheir transverse centers and telescoping tent poles or cover supports 26 and 27 are mounted through the eyes of these bolts. Eachpole or support is preferably formed in three pieces, 28, 29 and 30, said pieces being formed of pipe. A ring 31 is fixed upon the upper end of the piece 28. The piece 29 telescopes through the ring 31 into the piece 28 and is held in adjustedposition by a set-v screw 32. A similar'smaller ring 33 is fixed upon the upper end of the piece 29 and the piece 30 telescopes through this ring into the piece by a set-screw 34. A cap or head 35 1s fixed upon the upper end of the piece 30. When the set-screws are loosened and the pieces are shoved together, the ,piece 28 maybe manipulated through the eye-bolt to bring the eye-bolt approximately at the center and then the collapsed pole may be swung into horizontal folded position beside the head rail or foot rail, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Headed studs are fixed in the bars 1, 9, 11,

jecting buttons 36. A hook 37 is adapted to engage the rear bow 38 of the automobile top and a cord 39 is attached toth1s hook and extends over the tops of the extended poles 26 and 27 and then downwardlyand outwardly to the tent stake 40. The canvas by the bolts 12, and the third folding side hover 41 is made up like an A-tent and the cord 39 has sockets 42 at the ends of the ridge to engage the caps 35 upon the poles 26 and 27. The cover is placed in posltlon so that the portion of the cord 39 between the sockets 42 forms a ridge pole and the lower edges of the canvas are rovided with button-holes 43 to engage the iuttons 36 all the way around or to any desired extent.

29 and is held in adjusted position 13 and 15 to form outwardly pro- Screen windows 44: may be made of mos-' quito netting or screen and inserted in the lower parts of the ends of the cover and in the upper parts of the sides to ventilate the interior and keep out flies and mosquitos. The cover 41 is preferably constructed in two sections meeting and Overlapping transversely at or near the longitudinal center of the bed, and the overlapping flaps i5 and 46 may be. secured together by interior buttons 47. These flaps and buttons may be arranged in various ways to suit the con venience of the occupant.

After the bed frame has been properly installed upon the car and it is desired to fold up the bed and get ready for the road, the poles 26 and 27 are collapsed and folded against the rails 2 and 15, the rail 15 is swung upwardly, the legs 22 folded, then the continued swinging over of the foot rail 15 will swing the bars 11 upwardly until the bars 13 are parallel with the bars 9.

Then the box frame is swung upwardly until the bars 9 are in vertical positions, thus bringing the bars 13 close to the rear face of the rear seat with the box frame extending upwardly back of the lower part of the car top. The cover 41 and the bedding may be left upon the fabric 8 and rolled up with the frame Latches 48 are pivoted to' the bars 1 and have notches 4-9 to engage buttons 36 upon the bars'9 so as to hold the bed in its folded position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

When it is desired to make up the bed, the latches 48 aredisconnected and the frame unfolded bacl :\\"ardly, the bedding piled upon the fabric 8, the poles 26 and 27 extended to the desired height, the cover -11 applied, the hook 37 engaged with the bow 38, the cord 39 drawn tight, and the stake 4O driven into the ground. The cover may be buttoned to the frame more or less as de sired.

It is obvious that by making the cover tight to fit the frame and buttoning it all the way around, it is perfectly practical to exclude all forms of insects from the interior of the cover.

I claim:

1. A folding bed attachment for automo I hiles, comprising supporting and attaching ends of the folding side bars, folding legs for supporting the box frame, an end frame hinged to the opposite side of the box frame from the side bars, and folding legs for supporting the end frame; so that the end frame will swing upwardly and then swing forwardly and the box frame will swing upwardly and then the folding side bars will swing upwardly carrying the box frame to a bottom-up position above the supporting and attaching bars.

2. A folding bed attachment for automobiles, comprising supporting and attaching bars adapted to be rigidly automobile and extend horizontally for sup porting the entire folded bed and for supporting one end of the unfolded bed, a head rail rigidly connecting the supporting and attaching bars, folding side-bars hinged to the extending ends of the supporting and attaching bars, a box frame hinged to the rear ends of the folding side bars; said box frame comprising second folding side bars, posts extending downwardly from each end of each of the second folding side bars, longitudinal bars connecting the lower ends of the posts, and transverse bars connecting the lower ends of the posts so as to form a rigid box frame; folding legs for supporting the box frame, an end frame hinged to the opposite side of the box frame from the side bars, and folding legs for supporting the end frame; so that the end frame will swing upwardly and then swing forwardly and the box frame will swing upwardly and then the folding side bars will swing upwardly carrying the box frame to a bottom-up posigion abov e the supporting and attaching ars.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LEO HARRIS.

secured to the 

